Taya Radok
Taya Radok was a dancing girl and skilled assassin from Darujhistan.Return of the Crimson Guard, Dramatis Personae, UK PB As a dancer, she wore white, translucent dancing robes and a transparent face veil. She was described as a slip of a girl with kohl-ringed eyes that sparkled impishly and long black hair. Taya had long arms and pale, muscular shoulders and high, small breasts. She could put unexpected iron into her voice.Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 1 Chapter 2, UK PB p.65-70 In Return of the Crimson Guard ] Taya relocated to Unta with the Lady Batevari and managed to avoid the notice of the Claw. The ambitious councillor Mallick Rel found out that she was the daughter of the mage Vorcan Radok, the former Mistress of the Assassins' Guild in Darujhistan. He presumed that Taya was seeking revenge against those she thought responsible for murdering her mother and forged an alliance with her, ostensibly to further mutual ends. Rel employed Taya to assassinate or otherwise remove numerous non-compliant Malazan nobles from the Imperial Assembly and to thwart assassination attempts against himself.Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 1 Chapter 2, US HC p.65-70 During the Crimson Guard invasion of Unta she carefully followed Empress Laseen to observe her skills as she fought several of the Avowed in hand to hand combat. Taya ambushed Clawmaster Possum in the process who thought her a talented mage from the way she disappear from the enclosed area. Possum heard her snarl in a language unknown to him.Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 2 Chapter 2, US HC p.301/302, 315/316 Posing as a lieutenant's mistress, Taya accompanied Laseen and her army west to Li Heng where the rebellious Talian League awaited them. During the fighting of the Battle of the Plains Taya lingered in the Imperial encampment where Laseen had her headquarters. Possum spotted her, but was once again outclassed and nearly killed. He observed that she possessed inhuman strength.Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 2 Chapter 6, US HC p.516 Taya eventually used the confusion of the battle to assassinate the Empress while Possum was distracted by the Crimson Guard mage Cowl.Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 3 Chapter 4, UK Bantam Press PB p.663-664 In Orb Sceptre Throne ] Taya returned to Darujhistan and allied herself with the Legate, who was her mother's enemy.Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 3 She was mostly described as wearing a diaphanous white cloth. In remarks made to Aman, another ally of the Legate, Taya referred to the Legate as "Father" - which was the common form of address of the Legate's closest minions.Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 14, US TPB p.414 She played an instrumental part in the rise of Jeshin Lim's power, up until the point where he had received the council's permission to re-instate the position of the Legate.Orb Sceptre Throne, Prologue She then helped the Tyrant impose his will on Jeshin by forcing him to take on the gold mask, making him the Tyrant.Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 8 She acted as the Legate's hitman on several occasions, killing several of the people who impeded his way to power in any fashion.Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 5Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 7 She also tried to attack and assassinate Rallick Nom, but was beaten back.Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 19 Finally, in the Throne room of Majesty hill, she was confronted by Topper, who attacked her for her part in Laseen's assassination.Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 21 Beaten and bloodied, she retreated back to the Varada estate, where Vorcan asked a pursuing Topper to leave Taya to her. She failed in killing her mother and was in the end imprisoned in chains by her.Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 21 Speculation It is assumed that Taya had demon blood from her mother's side. She was variously described as possessing inhuman strength and snarling in an unknown language. Her exact heritage was never stated. Notes and references Category:Females Category:Assassins Category:Daru